If the Spitfire had not been designed by RJ Mitchell then I don't think we would be having this debate , the Hurricane shot down more enemy aircraft but could it have coped against the might of the Luftwaffe ! Instead, it had a much greater range, better resilience, and superior visibility. It was introduced in Update 1.53 "Firestorm". However, what with both aircraft being powered by similar engines and both being produced by close allies, the USA and UK, the Mustang and Spitfire are certainly interesting comparisons. For this role, the American aircraft didn't really need the Spitfire's versatile performance. The P-38 Lightning is to be played primarily as an Air Superiority fighter. It's clear that both aircraft had fearsome loadouts. Comparing the North American P-51 Mustang Single-Seat, Single-Engine Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft against the Lockheed P-38 Lightning Single-Seat, Twin-Engine Heavy Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft. Well this is actually untrue, the most produced model was the LF Mk.IX, which was still one of the most common Spits by the end of the war. Not bad for an aircraft that only existed due to the eccentric persistence of one man, Sidney Cotton. After that I became a wing commander of the Wing 300 (JG300).  or However, the Mustang had a gross weight of 12,700 pounds (of which about 1/4 was fuel) while the Spitfire IX grossed 7,400 pounds. (Limited range). This is a good point as it allows sighting to be maintained nearer the stall. 0:25. Copyright ©2020 Flite Test. Authentic trim scheme Covered in … Report. Just look at the comparison of the P-51D and Spitfire IX. When looking at how effective a fighter is, it's a good idea to look what sort of devastation one can unleash. The P38 went into a shallow spane and was unable to lose the enemy when indicating 400 mph at low altitude. ... Actually the Spitfire and the Hurricane changed the course of the war. FlightLine’s P-38 represents the pinnacle of engineering for a foam electric P-38. The Mustang P51D did not have better visibility than the Spitfire XIV. The Spitfire IX, often seen as the ultimate evolution of the type, was able to outclass the Bf 109G as well as the newer Focke-Wulf Fw 190A in combat. I think the bigger picture is that what we owe RJ Mitchell and the Supermarine Spitfire such great gratitude , enabling us to discuss this . The Spitfire was designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor aircraft by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works, which operated as a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong. In it's main role, the Mustang proved itself as a superb escort fighter in Allied bombing raids over Germany. "Aug 43, 8thAF has retrieved some Bomber Gps and has several original Spitfire/P-47 FGs. Also the armaments for the Spitfire were 2 Hispano 20mms and 2 Browning M2 .50 cals, not 4 20mms and 4 .303s. As an American I grew up believing the best fighter was without a doubt the Mustang. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. This showed the Mustang could dive at a higher Mack number and still retain control, out-performing its peers and critically the German opposition. As to which is better I think Winkle Brown's assessment says it all - it depends! So this was a good lecture for me. For this role, the American aircraft didn't really need the Spitfire's versatile performance. A Mustang taxis through a puddle at an airbase in Korea. The P-51 Mustang and Supermarine Spitfire were both brilliant Allied fighters during WW2, but which one was the best? All rights reserved. Commander of the Luftwaffe Hermann Göring was quoted as saying, "When I saw Mustangs over Berlin, I knew the jig was up." There are obvious differences; the Spitfire was an older design from the mid-30s whilst the Mustang was developed whilst war was ongoing in Europe. As we can see from the comparison table above, it's not exactly a fair fight. You must mean the P-51B and P-51C. Good article but missed out a critical fact. 6 x 12.7mm M2 Browning air-cooled machine guns. But the Spitfire—with its larger airframe, stronger structure, and superior engine—was better able to support the installation of advanced engines, armour, and heavier armament. XIV was the definitive Spitfire. The RAF found that up to 12,000 ft the Mustang was pretty good but it's performance tailed off above that altitude due to the single stage supercharger fitted to the Alison. Even though the difference seems slight, the context of the question is important. Browse more videos. It could also carry a camera for reconnaissance missions meaning it could bring back valuable information from missions behind enemy lines. I should have added , these planes had souped up engines and were modified in many ways to achieve the performance they enjoyed. Two P-38 FGs, 1-P-51 FG that will not be operational till late Oct and have to workout tactics and maintenance problems, which all are severe. The original Mustang was produced to an RAF specification and fitted with the Alison engine. It performed well in North Africa, Italy and on the continent with the Ninth Tactical Air Force, but the records show that the P-38 did not do well as a long range, high altitude bomber escort with the Eighth Air Force. . Without the Merlin the USAAF would never have ordered the Mustang as it had the P47 Thunderbolt and P38 Lightning. We know our customers have been waiting for a large P-38 with good size, clean wiring, and scale lines. Spitfire V vs C.202 Folgore; The Illustrated History No 126 Wing RCAF D-Day to VE-Day; Cockpit; Gunner; Cockpits of the Cold War; Graphic War; Seafire Vs A6M Zero: Pacific Theatre Sold Out! P-38. If any dimensional values are "NA" in the database then the presented shapes may appear skewed.

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